Mobile phones

[Volupturaptor]

I hate the things myself, but it seems my daughter will be in the minority if she doesn't have one...
I've been told that O2 works ok, Orange doesn't, but what about the other networks?
Which are the cheapest to use?
I've seen a basic (only does calls and texts) but flash looking one on the Vodaphone network for £10 and daughter's birthday is very soon. Should I get it do you think?
I have looked at all the info online, but to be honest there is too much of it, and I find it all too befuddling!

[jhopgood]

On a recent visit to the UK I got a basic Vodafone for £10 for the phone and £10 in calls. To keep it alive I have to do a minimum (£5) top up every 3 months.
It's a phone, and does nothing else but text, but is fine for that purpose. I understand all companies do similar arrangements.
I'm sure your daughter would like one that sings, dances and takes photos, But I just wanted a phone for emergencies etc.

Over to you.

[Volupturaptor]

The basic phone will be fine, I don't want to get her one that takes pictures or has internet access, they do nothing but cause trouble from what I've heard...
I just want to know what networks people favour for a) working well at CH, and b) not being too expensive to use. Or are they all much the same?

[englishangel]

My offspring are 22 and still using the Tesco paygo mobile sim cards they got when they were 15 . They have upgraded their phones but still only use them for phone and text. (as do I). Tesco use the O2 network (and you get clubcard points on top-ups) and came out very well on a Which survey.

[lonelymom]

I know that Orange and T-mobile work fine at CH because my girls are on T-mobile and have no problems (and Orange and T-mobile use each other's masts now so if one works the other does), I also know that 3 works well. I think O2 has a patchy coverage, and not sure at all about Vodaphone. If you go on to the website for each network you can check coverage in different postcodes, but make sure you check all the postcodes she'll be needing to use her phone, eg 3 has good indoor and outdoor coverage at CH, but no indoor coverage where I live, so it is no good for my daughters.

[Mrs C.]

with 3 you can connect to Skype for free and get 3 months worth of free 3 to 3 calls with a £10 top=up
we all have 3 phones to keep in touch with daughters at uni!
and basic phones are very cheap

[wickedwitch]

daughters first phone got stolen so we got her a £5 job with pay as you go on Virgin. We now get free virgin to virgin calls.

[J.R.]

daughters first phone got stolen so we got her a £5 job with pay as you go on Virgin. We now get free virgin to virgin calls.

I couldn't possibly comment !!!!

[wickedwitch]

perhaps that's why my reception is a bit crackly!!!

[J.R.]

perhaps that's why my reception is a bit crackly!!!

I refer the Honourable Lady to the answer I gave earlier !

[eucsgmrc]

I hate the things myself, but it seems my daughter will be in the minority if she doesn't have one...

I've seen a basic (only does calls and texts) but flash looking one on the Vodaphone network for £10 and daughter's birthday is very soon. Should I get it do you think?

If you're contemplating £10 per month - which used to get a very basic calls-and-texts package on most networks - then look at this:
http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/pay-mont ... n-edition/
which gets a smart(ish) phone and free internet access (and they gave me free calls to landlines too, when I signed up last week). The downside is that it's a two-year pay-monthly contract.

I don't intend this as a recommendation. My point is simply that, if you want a very basic cheap package, then you should aim to pay significantly less than £10 per month, because £10/month is nowadays the price of quite a sophisticated service.

And apologies if this comes to late to be useful!

[wurzel]

If the houses have wifi then any android phone can dowload a skype applet for free and then you can talk using skype over the houses wifi without using the mobile network at all. An HTC wildfire is available on a £15 contract from phones4u and Orange do one called a san francisco which can be had ona £10 contract (or you can buy the HTC for about £119 pay as you go).

If none of this post makes sense ask someone under the age of 25 to translate

[Volupturaptor]

Whoa!
I did get the phone, daughter is very pleased with it, and somewhat stunned that I bought it for her, as she knows how I feel about them.
It was £10 to buy the phone, pay as you go. £10 a month? I bloomin' hope not! (I spend about £2 a month on mine) It doesn't access the internet, or take pictures, it's just a phone, for sending text messages or making the occasional call, it has a radio and a couple of daft games, so as far as I'm concerned, it has everything it needs and more...

[SAS]

That is absoutely all they need. Well done for your down to earth sense!

[lonelymom]

If the houses have wifi then any android phone can dowload a skype applet for free and then you can talk using skype over the houses wifi without using the mobile network at all. An HTC wildfire is available on a £15 contract from phones4u and Orange do one called a san francisco which can be had ona £10 contract (or you can buy the HTC for about £119 pay as you go).

If none of this post makes sense ask someone under the age of 25 to translate

You have to pay to use the House internet (not sure how much it is though)